When I started my own business over ten years ago, I dreamed of having a mentor who could show me the ropes and tell me all about their mistakes so I could avoid making them myself. It wasn’t until I was already six or seven years in (having made and learned from a lot of my own mistakes), that I found the right mentor, and once I did, my business grew in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
I launched my Business Mentorship Program last year with the goal of connecting with, and supporting, other female entrepreneurs, and being the mentor for them that I wish I’d had when I was starting out. Over the past year, I have had the joy of connecting with so many talented and dynamic business owners – getting to know and support these women has truly been one of the highlights of my career, and unsurprisingly, working with such creative, capable women, I have learned so much from them that has helped me continue to grow.
I’ve decided it isn’t fair to keep these talented women and their businesses to myself, so I’ll be periodically featuring them so you can learn about their personal process, lessons learned, and success stories.
First up: Ally Milligan, founder of Loveleaf Co. I was thrilled to work with Ally because she is a triple threat (cooking whiz + organizing pro + talented photographer!). All she needed was a little support and structure to help solidify her big ideas.
Her story coming right up!
Why did you sign up for the Mentorship program?
I signed up for the Mentorship program because I needed help clarifying my brand. My content has always been about simplifying healthy eating, but I’d wanted to have a more focused message and create a product that would help my audience feel calm and in control in the kitchen. I had a lot of ideas for my business (and wanted to do them all at once), so I desperately needed Shira’s decluttering and organizational expertise – for my brain ;).
What specific results were you after?
My two main goals were to clarify my message and to create a signature product or service that combined the two things I know best: how to simplify weeknight cooking and streamline the kitchen so that it’s stocked with exactly what you need (and nothing you don’t).
What are some of your proudest wins during, or as a result of, the mentorship program.
Having a sounding board to bounce ideas off of is life-changing. Being a solopreneur means you make a lot of decisions on your own, so having honest feedback from someone you respect changes everything. Immediately after our first session, I began to edit my website and social channels to better reflect my brand. From that point on, everything I produced (recipes, content, etc.) was filtered through the lens of a clear brand message, which immediately made working on my business fun again.
By the end of the Mentorship, my signature program, The Kitchen Reset Program, was almost ready to be launched! With Shira’s guidance, I was able to design a program that’s a step-by-step roadmap to creating a calming, clutter-free kitchen so that easy, weeknight meals can actually happen.
Anything unexpected that came out of doing the program?
Just talking to Shira made me want to simplify and streamline every aspect of my life, not just my business! After clarifying my brand message through the Mentorship, I edited many other aspects of my life (I even took Shira’s Closet Makeover Program to get my closet in order ;).
Also, the structure of the Mentorship showed me the power of small, consistent action. Shira helped me come up with goals to hit each week and, by the end of the Mentorship, my Kitchen Reset Program was basically done – magic!
Did you change personally as a result of completing this program?
Creating The Kitchen Reset Program during the Mentorship really forced me to clearly communicate – and put pen to paper – the decluttering and meal planning systems I use in my everyday life. Now, I use my own program as a guide when I feel overwhelmed in the kitchen!
And, in general, I approach my business with much more clarity – and clarity is freedom.
Tell us more about Loveleaf Co.! What’s coming up next?
With Loveleaf Co., I’m on a mission to help people simplify their kitchens and approach to weeknight cooking so they can eat healthfully without the stress. Through my website and Instagram feed, I share simple meal prep strategies, easy (healthy!) recipes, seasonal meal plans, and, now, my signature Kitchen Reset Program. I have a new meal planning series in the works (more on that soon!) and my dream is to one day write a cookbook.
Thank you, Ally, and congrats on all of your success!
Most of you know I am a bit hopeless in the kitchen, and personally can’t wait to take Ally’s program so I can start whipping up healthy and delicious weeknight meals instead of panicking and ordering pizza.
Find Ally over at Loveleaf Co., or on her gorgeous Instagram feed @loveleafco!
If you’ve been daydreaming about your own business venture, I’d love to help. Learn more about the Mentorship Program by Clicking Here.
